The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-28
NEW FIELDS OF TRADE.
SAVANNAH AND THE ALABAMA
MIDLAND RAILROAD.


MIDLAND RAILROAD.
Business Men Asked TO Help Build the
Road to cambridge to Connect With
the Savannah, Florida and Western
The Advantages the Proposed Con
nection Will Give Savannah,
One of the most important railroad CON
nections talked OF for Savannah is the pro-
posed Alabama Midland, and the more it is
discussed the more favorable the project APP
pears. Some time ago a line was surveyed
from Montgomery, Ala, southeast TO Chat
tahoochee, a distance of about IS miles.
A glance at railroad map of Alabama
shows that there is a vast section of the
southeastern part of that State which
is without railroads. When it is
stated that that very section contains the
richest agricultural counties in Alabama, it
seems not a little surprising that, with all of
the railroad building which has been going
on in the past few years no track has yet
been laid through that country. Perhaps
one explanation is that the traffic found out
let's by water. However, there are half a
dozen counties in that corner OF the State
which need and are about to build rail
road.
THE proposed road is to start
at Montgomery, extend to Troy
and thence southeast to the Chatta-
hoochee river. cambridge, Ga, saw that
the line is bound to draw a large and valua-
HE trade and some Of her citizens proposed
that the road be extended through Early
enc Decatur counties to their town.
HOW SAVANNAH Is INTERESTED.
Col J. D. Harrell and Mr.. r. A. Lytle. of
Balnbridge, and Mr. Godfrey Peterson, OF
Montgomery, spent yesterday in Savannah
taking up the road and showing what its
ndvantages as a connection OF Savannah's
would be These three gentlemen called on
a Number of Bay street men and had very
Encouraging interviews Enough money
WIS guaranteed along the original route,
from Montgomery to Chattahoochee. to
warrant outside capitalists to take hold of
The enterprise. When it was PROPOSED that
the line be diverted from Chattaho0chee and
IRON Dothen deect across to Gordon on
the river and thence TO cambridge. it
w6s agreed that if cambridge would sub
h SeTibe $4,000 the route would be changed
A canvass of cambridge obtained sub
Sariptions for $4,000 and it was decided
f'att Savannah be asked to help out the two
northwestern counties. Those interested in
the movement had reason to believe that
they would get assistance from Savannah, as
she will be greatly benefited by the new
KN&A1Nls oilbuuI II tDlletb Win lie GodNdllldU,
Florida and Western at cambridge.
THE ROUTE IN ALABAMA.
The Alabama counties through which it
viii pass are Montgomery, Pike, Dale and
Henry, and viii draw large trade from
Barbour. the last named being much the
wealthiest county, agriculturally, in the
state. Its population was Is, 16l the last
census, and the total population of all the
rounties through which the line would pass
WAS 1S0, 600
Coffee county, Ala, although it will not
be touched by the railroad, lies so near the
/ proposed line that large part of its trade
would come to Savannah
In 1879 the half dozen Alabama counties
mentioned produced 900 bushels of corn,
20, 900 bushels of rice and Isl $50 bales of
cotton The crops now are estimated to be
4 20 per cent. larger than they were then. A
great deal of the trade now goes to New
Orleans, farmers hauling their products
twenty thirty, forty and fifty miles to the
railroads Last year the river counties of
Alabama shipped 107, 600 bales of cotton up
the Chattahoochee to Columbus.
WHAT THE PROJECTORS SAY.
The projectors of the Alabama Midland
say that very large percentage of cotton
would come to Savannah by way of Balm
bridge if the proposed road is built. From
Montgomery to cambridge is about It's
miles, and the distance from cambridge to
I Savannah is $50 miles, which gives a new
Il line from Montgomery to Savannah only a
little over 400 miles in length.
III the road goes to Chattahoochee it will
there connect with the Savannah Florida
md Western, the Florida Railway and Nay
Z i9atlOn and the Louisville and Nashville
: The result will be that Savannah would in
that event have to compete with two other
roads, whereas if the line is carried direct to
Bainbridge this city will get all the traffic
without any competition of consequence.
The road could be constructed as cheap as
any, the committee says, as there would be
10 heavy grading. 1t would develop rich
naval stores territory, which is sure to be
opened up sooner or later anyhow, and the
Savannah naval stores men seem to think
that they have an excellent opportunity to
secure that business
TO SECURE MOBILES TRADE.
1t is said that if Savannah does not take
prompt steps to capture that trade it will be
secured by Mobile or New Orleans The
new road would take from those two cities
large cotton and rice trade which they
now enjoy and bring it to Savannah. The
road would give the shortest route from
Montgomery to Jacksonville by rs miles.
Messrs. Lytle, Peterson and Harrell win
remain in Savannah to-day to confer further
with the business men.
Messrs. Meinhard Bros e. Co. started the
subscription with 81 900, and number of
other firms have pledged liberal subscrip-
tions.
THROUGH THE CITY